Here we go!

Isn’t this what we all want to do? Write a blog, travel the world and get paid royalties by telling thousands of loyal readers about the exquisite cuisine we had in a Mediterranean oasis? This is nowhere fucking near that. In fact, it’s quite backwards.

I’m just a dude that wants to share my story. I’ve been around, seen some things, and I think I can offer something to others. Whether it’s for entertainment value, life lessons or simply how to use a power drill, I’d like to share what I have inside.

The kids like to call it a 'Dave talk.' Tidbits of advice stemming from my experiences in life that usually results in an eye-roll and a follow up with a juvenile example they try to relate to their own life. I like to think that at least SOMETHING is making sense from my stories. 

A Dave Talk...

I like to teach following the rules, but not for the typical 'boomer' reasons of following rules. All the kids say 'rules are meant to be broken...' Sure, it's a great aspiration to live life untethered and free as a bird. The real reason I talk about rules is because until you understand and appreciate what the rules are for, then you can't break the rules that are actually worth breaking. 

Constantly breaking the speed limit doesn't make you a non-conformist. It makes you an asshole when you get cocky and end up ramming a car in front of you because your dumb-ass wasn't paying attention. "Accidently" not paying for the most expensive item in your cart in the self-checkout doesn't mean you're "stickin' it to the man" because you should be paid to do the work of a cashier.' It means you are a thief.

People trust you more when you're honest and follow the rules. Should you care what others think of you? Well no... if you want to sing and dance regardless of what people think, absofuckenlutely do your thing! The reality is, it's nearly impossible to live this life without the help of other people. If you find you aren't getting out of life what you desire, try taking a good hard and honest look at what you are in the eyes of others. The universe will provide, usually through other people. If you're a dick, your chances of getting what you are owed fade away from what you favor.

But really...

I didn't have a rough childhood. Well, I got spanked with kindling sticks and had to eat a few bars of soap in my time, but never anything that truly warrants a top-notch therapist. I stick with the run-of-the-mill therapists that don't actually care about my problems.

The Readers Digest* version of my life: 

I graduated high school in Washington State. Shortly thereafter I got my girlfriend pregnant. (Well, we had broken up but she still lived at my parents). The story of my daughter may come in a later post. After floating around some stupid jobs and moving across the state, I woke up one day and decided to enlist in the Army (2015). Like a damn Forrest Gump spin-off I was in and out of basic training and stepping foot into Iraq quicker than it takes to brew a decent batch of beer.

Two deployments later and after a year or so of fucking around in North Carolina, I decided to NOT re-enlist and moved back to Washington. I opened a small diner/burger joint. It was great. I built it up from nothing, and ended up selling it to some asshole couple that worked with my realtor to fuck me over. Granted it wasn't a million-dollar store but the day I sold it I walked out with a $9,000 check. For what it's worth, he was one of the assholes that decided to stay open during Covid and ended up getting fined a shitload of money from the state. He ended up selling it off to one of the employees and their place still sucks.

With the little bit of cash from the business, I went to truck driving school and got my CDL. Left the sailboat I was living on to go drive cross country. The truck stop life just wasn't my thing. (though I would do it again for a short time later on). Came back to Washington and cut trees for one of the hardest working guys I've ever met aside from my dad. Then I got restless.

Onward to use my GI Bill to get my degree in aviation and my commercial pilot license. During school I helped manage a few Starbucks, worked the sales desk at a lumber store and even used my CDL to deliver on the weekends. Flying was pretty awesome too.

I walked out of the school the day I passed my final checkride without a damn clue of what I was going to do. So, I went back to my sailboat, packed up my things, sold the boat and took off to Southern California. I ended up using the remaining time on my GI Bill to get my massage therapy certification. During that time I ended up working for a good friend of mine that had a pretty successful web agency. I absolutely hate working with anything computers, but I'm pretty damn good at it... and it pays pretty well. Onwards to becoming a bonafied web developer.

Fast forwarding, I moved back (yet again) to Washington, met a girl, got married, bought a house and here I am... just being grumpy ol' Dave. I love my wife, and the life we are moving forward with... I won't talk about the shitty-ass people quite yet.

While there is of course plenty more to the stories above, I find that the more I talk to people, the more I wish they could see what they could do with this life. I not only want my stories to be fun and possibly inspirational, I want them to be a foundation of rapport when I offer advice.

For you

I know a lot of this was about me. While I love to share some stories, I really want to remember who this is really for. You, the reader. My goal is to share what could really be useful in one or many of your lives.

Everything is figureoutable. You don't need a degree to succeed. You need to be honest and put in the work.

Buy the boat... adopt the dog (or buy if you're a snob like me)... take the trip... touch the butt...

Epic stories or no stories. Now put down that phone, listen to some motivational YouTube videos and use life for what it is. 

Build, create, love, explore...